Envelop-feeding mechanism.



J. S. DUNCAN. BNVBLOP FEEDING MEGHANISM. APPLXGATXON FILED JULY za 1910` 1,063,338. Patented June 3, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Y J. s. DUNCAN. ENVELOP FEEDING MHGHANSM.

APPLIOTON FILED JULY 28, 1910,

Patented June 3, 319W.`

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

J. S. DUNCAN.

ENVELOP FEBDING MBGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY Z8, X910.

Patented June 3, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHBBT 5.

if?. f7

J. S. DUNCAN.

ENVELOP FEEDING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2s, 1910,

Patented June 3,1913.

6 SHEETS-'SHEET 6.

F the mechanism; to automatically Uivrrnn srarns Parana* onirica.'

JOSEPH S. DUNCAN, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR- T0 ADDRESSOGRAPH COMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLNQIS,

A CORPORATION GF ILLINOS.

Specification of letters Patent.

Application filed July 2B,

Paten ted June 3, 1913. wie. serial No. 574,412.

To ail 'zr/wm.A if ne 041/ concer/i.

Be it known that l, JOSEPH S. DUNCAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented ncvv and useful Improvements in VA-lnvelop-l`eeding Mechanisms, of which the following is a spccilication.

This invent-ion relates to improvements in that type of envelop feeding mechanism called flap feed machines in which the envelop is fed from a supply by means engaging the flap thereof to addressing or' other printing mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of simple and inexpensive construction for feeding envelope rapidly and singly to a printing or other machine and for delivering the envelope after being printed in a convenient position for removal.

The invention also has for its object to provide mechanism of this character which can be readily adapted to and embodied 'with a printing mechanism in one complete and compact niachinevvhich may be operated, and preferably is operated, applied through suitable means simnliane` onsly to both mechanisms.

llfnrther objects of' the invention are to in sure the feeding of the envelope one at a time to printing position; to provide means for enabling lthe envelop to readily enter the feeding devices which carry it through stop the movement of the envelop so that the printing operation may be completed While the envelop is at rest; and to provide for the rapid feeding and delivery of the envelop.

While the invention is especially adapted for embodiment in a single machine With mechanism and devices for printing addresses on the envelope, I have not consid ered it necessary to illustrate or describe such mechanism and devices, and in the drawings have simply shown the invention as it may be applied to an chine.

Referring to the drawings Figure l is a front elevation of the invent-ion, the side guide for the envelop being shown in sec* tion. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ot the vention, showing the power shaft in sec tion. A Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. l. Fig. Il is a sectional view addressing ma by poivcr i on the line i-ffl of Fig. l. Fig. is a top plan View. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the initial clamping rolls. Figs. i' and 8 are detail sectional views of the devices which cause the feeding tapes to operate intermittent-ly, Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of the feed fplate. Fig. l0 is a detail vien7 showing the feed plate engaged with an envelop. llfig. ll is a detail view oi" the face plate.

The invention comprises a frame l of suitable coniiguration for supporting Athe other parte of the mechanism and this frame may be mounted on or embodied in a bed plate 2 and supported on legs 3, or other supports. A power shaft 4: is mounted in bearings in the frame and it carries a power wheel 5 which can be operated manually or by a power belt, as desired. A gear 6 on the power shaft 'l drives'a gear 7 loosely mount-ed on the shaft 7 and clutched therewith, as hereafter described, through interw mediate gears 8 and 9 mounted on shafts S' and 9^', respectively, the said shafts being all mounted in the frame in a suitable man ner. Feed tapes 10 travel on 'feed rolls 1l. rigidly mounted on the shaft 'and on feed rolls 'l2 mountedon a shaft lsupported in the trame. Tapes 13 are trained on rolls le in front of the rolls ll., rolls 15 behind rolls l1. rolls 1G errang` d behind the tapes l() and between the horizontal planes ol the shafts of rolls il and l2, and rolls 17 located at the top of the mechanism. The tapes 13 are actuated by the tapes 10 with which they engage for a part of their travel, and

rod 35 secured mechanism by this sido guide which can ad3nsted for envelope of di'erent lengte.

the tapes l0 are driven from the power' of envelops 2l is arranged on on the rod so that it can be swung np into n substantially vertical poend the envelop supply positioned in ite.

The support 22 is adapted to rest in inclined and a suitable follower 26 travels on the support behind the 'supply of envelops and pushes the envelops down the inclined support against the stop bars 27 and springholding fingers 28 (Fig. The envelops are arranged in the supply with the fiaps forward and projecting upward so that a de- -vice may engage the fiap of the first envelop and push the envelop down into position between the tapes. A feed plate 29 is mounted on a plate frame 30 which is arranged to slide vertically in guide-ways 31 in the main frame. A crank lever 32 is pivotally engaged at one end 33 with the plate frame 30 and is pivotally mounted at its angle on a stud shaft 34. The short arm 35 of this crank lever carries an anti-friction roll 36 which is held in engagement with a cam 37'rigidly mounted on the power shaft 4 by a spring 32 (Fig. 1). As the power V shaft rotates the cam actuates the crank lever and imparts to the plate and its frame a vertical reciprocating movement which en ables the plate to feed an envelop from the supply on each downward movement. I Iincorporate with the feed plate a device for actuated slide 38 having a forwardly and' downwardly projecting and sharpened lower end 39. This end constitutes a separator for lifting the flap preliminary to the entrance of the lower edge of the feed plate and in order that the separator may act first upon the flap it projects forwardly through a recess 39 in the lower edge of the feed plate and downwardly in front of and below the face of said plate. Theslide 438 is guided and limited 1n its vertical movement relative to the feed plate by pins 40 on the feed plate which engage slots 41 in the slide, and the. slide is held normally in downward positson, as shown in Fig. 9, by a spring 42 mounted on 'the back of the feed plate. On the downward movement of the 'feed plate the forwardly projecting end 39 of the slide first engages the t-op of the flap and lifts or spreads the flap away from the body of the envelop so that the feed plate may readily engage the flap at its juncture with the body of the envelop to feed the envelop away from the supply. "l`he edge of the Separator 3Q is preferably sharpened to facilitate its action and the lower edge of the feed plate, while not necessarily blunt, is at least pref erably not so sharp as the separator to avoid 4allliability of the feed platecuttmg theon- 've lop undeigthe necessary pressure employed in feeding the envelop from the supply. To

' prevent the separator frorncuttingthe envelop while it is being fedV fromv the supply I mount it y-ieldingly upon the feed plate so that it will yield to the pressure employed in feeding the envelop and thereby avoid mutilating the envelop.

The spring fingers 28 prevent the first envelop from slipping down out of its place in the supply until it is fed downward by the feed plate and then, in order that there may be no resistance to the movement of the plate and to enable the enyelop to be fairly caught between the tapes I provide means for moving the clamping rolls 14 laterally to carry them away from the rolls l1 and thereby provide a wider or deeper throat or opening between the tapes 10 and 13 at said rolls to receive the envelop. 'lo this end the rolls 14 are mounted on shafts 45, (Fig. (i), supported in brackets 46 whicln are rigidly mounted on the rock shaft 47. 4"mprings 48 are attached to the brackets 46 and to the main frame to hold the-rolls 14 in normal position,.as shown in Fig. 3. The tapes 13 alsotravel on rolls 49 carried by the rock lshaft 47. An arm 50 (Fig. 2) rigid with one end of the rock shaft 47 projects forward in the path of a cam 51 on the power shaft and located for convenience on the cam 37. The cam 51 is timed so that as the feed plate moves the envelop away from the supply the arm 50v will be engaged by said cam to rock the shaft and move the clamping rolls 14 laterally, as before described, to enable the envelop to enter between the rolls 14 and 11 whereupon, the cam 51 having passed the arm 50 the springs 48 ywill act upon the rolls 1'4 to move them toward the rolls 11 with a clamping action spring 52 (Fig. 2) is connected to the main frame and the arm' 50 to limit the rearward movement of said arm and rock shaft.

The faceplate 53 (Fig. 11) is fastened on-the bed of the machine to receive the venvelop in printing position and it com-v prises a guide 54.Which is` located between the rolls 11 and curved in substantial correspondence therewith to insure th proper movement of the envelop 'at the initial s tage its feeding operation after leaving the supply. Spring fingers 55 are provided Iat the sides of the face plate on'which the envelop rests while itis engaged by -the tactyvithV the printing device as the platen .130

.in the guide-ways Y fed forward. from rises .out of contact.. with the envelop to enable the tapes to carry the envelop on Without interference. The platen is carried by a .trame 58 which is arranged to slide vertically in the main frame and is ,guided 3l tFig. 4). 'This trame is also guided on a cross bar 59 in the main trame and it is pulled upward and normally held in elevated position by a sprinff 50 which is attached lat one end to the praten frame and at its other end. to a pin (3l rigid with the main trame. The platen trame moved downward .hy cams G2 rigid ou the. poi-ver shaft 4 and arranged Ato engage rolls 63 on a shaft 64 mounted in the platen frame. rl'he platen operating' mechanism is timed with relation to the feeding mecha* nism so that the platen will be moved downward after an envelop has been registered in printing position thereunder and in the type of addressing machine which has been referred to as one with which the invention .may be embodied,4 a printin;r device would also he registered at the same time below` the envelop. ln order that this registration or" the envelop may be eliected and the envelop brought to rest temporarily in position for the printing operation I provide means for stopping' the movement ot the tapes temporarily. This means comprises a friction shoe (S5 (Figs. 7, 8) pivoted at tt on one end ot' ay lever G7 which is pivotally mounted at 68 on a sleeve 59 rigid YWit-l1 the hub nl gear 7. end to the lever G7 and at its other end to car '7i on the sleeve 69 holds the shoe normally in engagement with the inner face of the rim of the adjacent tape roll l1. The gear 7 loosely mounted on the shaft 4 and the rolls 'll are rigidly mounted thereon. Through the clutch mechanism just described the gear 7 locked with the ad jacent roll l'i to operate said relis whereby .the .rol il hecome the actuating' iced rolls ot the series for onnating,l the tapes. .A cam supported on a part 73 which may he Lt'astcne to the main frame er comprise a part thereof. as found most convenient, and the lever i7 carries a roll 74 to engage said rain. The parts are constructed and timed so that when the roll 74 engages the cam :E2 the lever 67 ywill he rocked on its pivot. to diseiigage the shoe (i5 from the rim of roll 'll and thereupon the rolls ll and all ot the feedingr mechanism come to rest. This operation timed with relation to the other' operations so that the feeding; move'- ment Will`he temporarily stopped during the printii'ig" operation. W' hen the roll '74 passes over the cam 72 the spring 70 can throv.7 the shoe 35 into engagement with the roll ll and the feeding operation is resumed.

After the envelope are printed they are printing position by the tapes and carried up to a discharge table or A spring attached at oneA l i i l l l and discharge .17 are provided with addresses, or other stacker mechanism which is located above the mechanism heretofore described and arranged to receive and stack the envelope neatly in a pile above the feed table. This stacking mecl'ianism comprises a pair 0i' shouldered disks mounted in the frame on a shaft 76 and operated by engagement with the tape 13. These disks receive the envelop from between the tapes l() and 1? it- With a quick throw on to the rods 77 which are mounted in a bracket 78 Jivoted at 79 on the main frame. The rods a thread of suitable character which will feed the envelops rearwardly from the disks as the rods are turned, and the turning mechanism comprises ratchet Wheels 80 on theforward ends of the rods arranged' to be engaged by spring pawls 8l on the feed plate frame. The stacker or discharge table comprising the rods 77 is pivotally mounted on trame so that. it can be folded closely against the frame when not in use, similar to the feed table 22, and to' hold it in operative position, as shown in Fig. 4,1 provide a. paWl 82 'to engage My invention is simple in vconstructit'm and is adapted to be embodied with an addressing or other printing machine for printing matter, on envelops With great rapidity. While it is particularly adapted for envelope it may be used with the main f a bar 83 on the stacker bracket.

other things having a fold similar to an i envelop flap to be engaged by the feeding devices. The different parts of the mechanism are operated automatically sov that the movement of the envelop is intermittent to the extent that itlstops temporarily for the printing operation-and the length of this stop may he regulated to accord with the operation of the printing mechanism.

What Icelain and desire to secure :by Let' ters Patent is:

i.. In an envelop feeding mechanism', thel combination of a 'Feeding device adapted t0 engage the flap of an envelop, and a separater movably mounted on one :tace cf the feeding device and projecting on the opposite face thereof.

Q. Tn, an. envelop feeding mechanism, the coniliination of a feeding device adapted to engage the'tlap of an envelop, and a separator carried by the feeding device and movable relatively thereto to open the flap so that the device may engage therewith.

3. ln an envelop feeding mechanism, the combination ot' a feeding device adapted to engage the flap otan rnv^lop,^and a separator yieldingly mounted on the feeding dec and capable of movement in the direction of movement of the feeding device to open the flap so that the feeding device may engage there-with. y

Il. ln an envelop feeding mechanism, the combination of a Vfeeding.; device adapted to CII engage the fla of` an envelop, and 'a separator yielding y mounted on the feeding device to open the flap so that the feeding device may engage therewith.

5.- In an envelop feeding mechanism, the combination of a feeding device adapted to engage the flap of an envelop, and a separator yieldingly mounted on the Iback of the feedingdevice and projecting in front of and below the feeding device to open the flap so tiat the feeding device may engage therewit f 6. In an envelop feeding mechanism, the combination of two pairs of feed rolls arranged one pair above the other, tapes trained on said rolls, and tapes trained on a plurality of rolls and arranged to engage the first mentioned tapes throughout a portion of their travel, said latter rolls comprising a pair located in front of the lower pair of the first mentioned rolls,-and a pair located behind the lower pair of said first mentioned rolls, and a pair located above the plane of the upper pair of said first mentioned rolls, and means for feeding an envelop to the tapes between the lower pair of the first mentionedl rolls and the pair in front of said lower pair, z'whereby the lenvelop is fed downwardly and forwardly and then upwardly to a discharge position above the initial feeding position.

7. In an envelop feeding mechanismthe combination of a plurality of sets of tapes, rolls around which said tapes are trained, the rolls being arranged to provide a throat between' the tapes for the reception of envelops, means including a feeding device and a separator carried thereby for separating an envelop from a supply and delivering said envelop to said throat between the tapes, means for automatically moving a roll of one set away from an opposing roll Y of the other set to open the throat for the reeeption of the envelop delivered thereto, and automatic means for subsequently moving said rolls into juxtaposition to close the` throatand bring the tapes of both sets into engagement with opposite faces of the envelop whereby to feed said envelop along between the sets of tapes.

, 8. In an envelop feeding mechanism, the

combination of a feeding device adapted to engage the Hap of an envelop, a separator slida ly mounted thereon, and means for Ayieldingly holding said separator in oper` ative osition. 9. n an envelo feedin mechanism, the combination of a eeding evice, a separator slidably mounted thereon, and means for rator carried by said feeding device and' movable conjointly therewith and also relatively thereto. v

11. In an envelop feeding mechanism, the combination of an envelop feeding device adapted to engage the fiap of an envelop,

and a separator mounted to move eonjointly v with said feeding device and also relatively thereto.

JOSEPH S. DUNCAN.

Witnesses:

WM. O. BELT, M. RoaER'rsoN. 

